Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels (and an update)

 It has been tooooooo long since the last time I was here. 

My personal life has been nothing of a mess and I just don't know how to put things into words. I've been very busy with school (and procrastinating). So I took a leave from blogging. I'm coming back with a bagel recipe because I can't talk about my feelings and personal issues right now. I might have a mental breakdown later. So bagels it is, you are very welcome. 

If you followed me on instagram, you would have seen me make these bagels. I've been in love with sourdough baking. It keeps me sane. I love bagels. I didn't know of a good bagel until I moved to the East coast. In short, I lived a life without knowing what a bagel is for 18 years. I know, that is depressing but please hold your tears. The first bagels I've ever made were these gluten-free bagels. I am in no way gluten free but the idea of working with yeast and gluten that time was intimidating to me. Then I ventured into proper bagels baking. The recipe I used was based on a pumpkin bagel recipe but I left out the pumpkin and replaced it with mashed sweet potato. Not bad, actually it was very good. But sourdough bagels, oh honey, they are a different class.

I'm not gonna tell you that homemade bagels are better. Because quite frankly they are not any better than the bagels you can get from your local bagel shop (a proper shop, you know). They sure are much better than the bagels from the bag in the store though. But what are the chances of finding pumpkin spice sourdough bagels from your bakery? Very slim I must say.

These are fantastic for breakfast. They are hearty and would keep you full until lunch. They have some fiber from the whole wheat and the pumpkin, the protein from gluten. Just slatter them with some kind of fatty spread like nut butter, (vegan) cream cheese, or (vegan) butter, paired with a cup of pumpkin-spiced latter, and voila inner peace. 

RECIPE

Makes 7 big bagels and 1 awkward small (for snacking, quality control ya know) or 8 smaller bagels

Ingredients

Levain

15g 100% hydration* active starter 

45g flour** 

45g water

Bagels

350g bread flour*** 

150g whole wheat flour**** 

9g salt

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon or leave it out completely)

200g pure pumpkin puree  

100g water

2 tbsp maple syrup*****

50g raisin (optional)- Soak your raisin in cold water overnight or hot water for 2-3 hours, drain and set a side

Cornmeal or flour for dusting. I prefer cornmeal as it gives the bagels a little more crunch but flour works fine.

1 tbsp of baking soda ( I think baking powder might work since it is just baking soda+ acid but I haven't tested it with baking powder so substitute at your own risk)

1 tbsp of coconut sugar (any granulated or liquid sweetener would work)

INSTRUCTION

1. Dissolve maple syrup, water, pumpkin puree, and starter in a large bowl

2. Mix in bread flour, whole wheat flour, raisin (if using), pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Knead the dough for about 7-10 minutes. You can do this by hand. Be warned it is an arm workout as this is a low hydration dough. It might look dry at first but keep need and it will turn into a smooth dough. Alternatively, you can knead it in a stand mixer for 5 minutes.

3. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with cornmeal (or flour) to prevent sticking.

4. Divide the dough into 130-140g pieces. Then roll them into balls. Cover them with a tea towel and et them rest for 20 minutes

5. Shape the bagels by (1) Punch out a hole in the center of the dough ball with your index finger. Stretch out the hole a little bit as the dough rise, the hole will become smaller. (2) roll the dough from the center out into a log until it is long enough to wrap around your hand, making sure that the 2 ends are smaller. Wrap the log around your hand so that when you pinch the two ends together, they are in the palm of your hand. Give the ends a gentle roll so they would stick together. You can see how I do both methods through my pumpkin bagels highlight on instagram. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls

6. Let them proof in a warm place cover with a tea towel. It would take about 2.5 to 4 hours to proof (maybe even longer if your kitchen is cold). To test if the bagel is ready, take a bowl of water, but one bagel in, if it floats, it is proofed. If it doesn't then pat the bagel dry and let them continue to proof. 

7. Once the bagels are proofed, place them in the fridge cover with a tea towel to proof overnight. 

8. The next morning, preheat the oven to 450F.

9. Meanwhile, gel a pot to a boil. Reduce it down to a simmer, add in 1 tbsp of baking soda and 1 tbsp of coconut sugar. Boil the bagel for about 30s on each side. If you want it chewier, you can let it boil up to 1 minute per side. Don't crowd the pot, the bagels will expand when they boil. Take them out with a slotted spoon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (you can use the same sheet)

10. Put the bagels in the oven and then immediately reduce the heat down to 400F. Bake them for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

11. Let them cool for at least 20 minutes before eating

NOTES:

*My starter is a 100% rye starter but any starter would work

**I used rye but whole wheat, unbleached bread, unbleached all-purpose or a blend of these will work

***All-purpose flour would also work, it wouldn't be as chewy

****You can use all bread/AP flour I just think the whole grains add a nice nutty flavor that compliments the pumpkin well. Lower gluten flour like spelt or rye wouldn't work because we want that gluten for a chewy bagel

*****You can use brown sugar or coconut sugar or barley malt syrup or molasses or honey if you're not vegan